Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) is making significant investments in capabilities to create an agile workplace that is engaging and productive, developing the skills of employees to compete in a digital age of artificial intelligence and big data.

“CCBA’s digital transformation journey is an integral component to take us into the future, remain relevant and future-proof our business. It will give us a competitive advantage, the agility to anticipate and respond to changes in our environment and satisfy and respond to customers and consumers’ real-time needs,” said the company’s Chief People and Culture Officer, Cathy Albertyn.

“This is especially relevant as we mark World Youth Skills Day because we know that the future of work will involve integrating new digital technologies with a highly skilled workforce to remain competitive.

“Young people in the early stages of their careers will benefit in the future from acquiring the skills to use this technology to the greatest effect. As we digitalise our business, our employees are learning these sought-after skills.

“We are digitalising our business processes in many ways, including through a single end-to-end enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. 

“This ERP platform will meet our business’ current and future needs, across all our markets, while providing data driven real-time business intelligence.”

CCBA is also accelerating its participation in the digital economy through its e-commerce platform, MyCCBA. The platform assists sales teams by empowering customers to place orders directly with CCBA online, from any device, at any time, to better meet their needs.

“By investing in MyCCBA, we enhance the customer experience of our fastest-growing channel, ensuring customer loyalty and repeat business,” said Albertyn.

This platform is currently rolled out in South Africa and Kenya, with over 34,000 registered customers in South Africa and over 3,500 customers in Kenya, with up to 5,500 daily visitors to the site. Mozambique and Ethiopia have also just launched, with two more countries planned in 2023.

These initiatives will accelerate CCBA’s operations to world-class levels, equipping employees with valuable skills in an increasingly digital world of work.

“At CCBA, we have an inspiring work environment, where highly skilled people feel challenged, engaged and motivated,” said CCBA in Kenya People and Culture Director, Kamal Daisy Onyango.

CCBA also supports youth to become more employable through its Graduates in Training programmes.

“We have collaborated with local educational institutions and vocational training centres to provide internships, graduates in training and apprenticeships programs. These initiatives aim to bridge the gap between education and industry, equipping young people with practical skills and preparing them for successful careers. For instance, our partnership with Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has seen the intake of three cohorts into our organisation. We currently have seven graduates in training from various local universities working in the business,” said Onyango.

“Our aim is to create greater shared opportunity for the business and the communities we serve across the value chain. Opportunity is more than just money, it’s about a better future for people and their communities everywhere on the African continent,” said Onyango.

“When we grow our business the right way, not just the easy way, we help create inclusive growth opportunities for our communities, women and youth, our customers, our employees and our shareholders, for a better shared future.”